What types of USB connectors are there?
USB adapter
If you buy external hardware of charging cables, you have to keep in mind that the connectors match with the inputs of the main device, like your laptop. If that's not the case, you need an adapter like a USB OTG. USB On the go can be a bridge between micro USB and USB, so you can transfer snapshots from your camera to your hard drive on the go. Other cable adapters can bridge a USB-C and a different USB-port. To help you with this puzzle, you can find an overview of USB connector types here.
USB plug
USB connector type A
You can find this connector type on every common USB flash drive. You can use the USB flash drive as data carrier, for example to store a presentation that you can play from a different laptop during your lecture.
USB connector type B
Connectors of this type aren't common nowadays. You'll find it on the cable that connects your printer to your computer. Enthusiasts of antiques can find it on the connection cable of the fax.
Mini USB-B connector
Grab you digital camera and check the power connector. It's probably a mini USB-B port. You can use it when you charge the battery of your digital camera.
Micro USB connector
You can mainly find this type of connector on smartphones. Is the end of the cable very flat and is 1 of the long edges shorter than the other, like a trapezoid? That's a micro USB 2.0 connector. With micro USB-B 3.0, you combine a trapezoid and rectangular connector. You can find this on external hard drives, for example. If you only have a rectangular connector, you have a micro USB-A connector.
USB connector type C
Do you always hold your USB flash drive upside down? Type C connectors don't have a top or bottom. You can always plug them in the port on the first try. Many smartphone and laptops have such such a connector. You can also use USB-C connectors for the HDMI, DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt 3 protocol. This type of connector enables a very fast data transfer and it charges your digital devices in no time.
Data transfer and power supply via USB
You can also distinguish between USB connectors based on their transfer speed or charging capacity. USB 4.0 can transfer 40Gb of data per second. In 1996, it would have taken 52 minutes with USB 1.0 for the same data package. Luckily, newer USB connectors are compatible with older USB ports. When you transfer data, the speed drops down to the old standard, so an upgrade is worth it. The version of charging cables also makes a difference. The more recent the USB version, the more power is has and the faster it charges your smartphone.
USB versions
| Maximum data transfer speed | Power | |
|---|---|---|
| USB 1.0 | 12Mb/s (Full Speed) | 0.5W |
| USB 2.0 | 480Mb/s (Hi Speed) | 2.5W |
| USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 1) | 5Gb/s (Super Speed) | 4.5W |
| USB 3.1 (USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2) | 10Gb/s (Super Speed Plus) | 4.5W |
| USB 3.2 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) | 20Gb/s (Super Speed Plus) | 4.5W |
| USB 4.0 (USB Type C) | 40Gb/s | 100 watts |
How do you know if your laptop has USB 3.0?
Do you want to buy an external hard drive with a USB 3.0 connector? To transfer data very fast, you have to have the same USB port version on your laptop. You can check if that's the case like this:
- For Windows: open the device manager and look for the USB 3.0 indication below USB controller.
- For macOS: click the Apple icon, go to About this Mac, and go to System report. Select USB below Hardware and look for USB 3.0 Bus in the system structure.
